Fresh Start
by tivaforever235
Summary: After a traumatizing event back home, Clarke Griffin moves across the country for peace, quiet, and solitude in hopes of moving on. Instead she found everything she'd ever needed.
1. Chapter 1

**Hi everyone! I've got so many fics bouncing around in my head after the last few episodes! I'd already started this one though so hope you enjoy this fic and stay tuned for some new ones soon. Reviews and comments are always welcome!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own the characters of The 100**

Chapter One

The medical clinic of Arkadia, Oregon was mostly dark when Bellamy Blake pulled up on a Friday evening. In the back seat of his squad car his friend Jasper Jordan was out cold with a large gash on his forehead. Bellamy had been hoping to spend a quiet evening at home, but then he'd received a call from the local bar that Jasper had gotten into another fight. There was still one light on so the new doctor must still be inside. Bellamy climbed out of his car and grabbed the unconscious Jasper and slung him over his broad shoulders. To his luck the door was unlocked.

"Hello?" He gently set Jasper down in one of the waiting room chairs.

"I'm sorry I'm closing up," A female voice replied from the back. A short, curvy blonde followed the voice into the waiting room. She had deep blue eyes and her blonde hair fell down her back in waves. "Is he alright?"

"I'm sorry I know it's after hours, but he just needs a few stitches. Think you could make an exception?" Bellamy smiled at the woman, hoping his charm would help him out as it usually did. This woman was different though. She crossed her arms and lifted an eyebrow as if to call him on his bullshit. "Please?"

"What you think just because you say please I'm going to help?"

"No," Bellamy furrowed his brow at her high and mighty tone. "I was hoping because you're a doctor that you would. But I could compel you as the Sheriff if that'll make you feel better."

The woman sighed and rubbed a hand across her eyes. "I'm sorry I'm just exhausted. Bring him back here and I'll stitch him up."

"Thanks Princess," He muttered with a roll of his eyes.

She stopped in her tracks and glared back at him. He just held his ground and glared back. With a slight smile and a shake of her head she turned back around and showed him into one of the exam rooms. It had an exam table in the middle of the room with a sink and cabinets along one wall. The other wall had two chairs and a basket filled with toys and magazines. The wall above the chairs had various health posters showing diagrams and information. Bellamy gently laid Jasper on the table while the doctor washed her hands and pulled on a pair of rubber gloves.

"So what happened?" She asked as she cleaned the wound.

"Jasper just got into it with a local at the bar down the street. He's been through a lot," Bellamy watched her careful hands string the thread through the needle. "His girlfriend Maya was killed recently. He's not handling it very well."

The doctor's shoulders slumped as soon as the words left his mouth much to his surprise. She looked over Jasper's still face and sighed. "That's awful. I'm sorry. How'd it happen?"

"She was shot," Bellamy replied. "She worked at the local art gallery and got caught up in a robbery. We have a pretty up and coming artist here in town who had his artwork featured in a show recently and it caught the attention of some big time art smugglers from Portland. She just happened to be there when they came to rob the place. She was staying late and tried to hide, but they found her."

"Poor thing," The doctor finished up and tied off the thread. She gently picked up his hands and cleaned the scrapes on his busted knuckles. "I'm Clarke by the way. Clarke Griffin."

"Bellamy Blake," He replied. "He going to be alright?"

"He'll be fine," Clarke pressed a bandage over a cut on his cheek. "Might have a headache, but he'll be ok."

Clarke helped him gently place Jasper in the back of his squad car. "Look I'm sorry about before. I've had a hell of a day and I didn't mean to take your head off. Especially since you weren't lying about being the Sheriff."

Bellamy chuckled and shrugged his shoulders. "It's ok Princess. We all have bad days."

"What's with calling me Princess?" Clarke crossed her arms again in defiance and jutted her chin up in the air.

Bellamy just smiled and opened the door to his squad car. "See you around Clarke."


	2. Chapter 2

Clarke Griffin was tired. Like full body, every muscle aching, sleep until noon tired. She'd spent all week driving like a bat out of hell from New York City where she'd grown up to this small Oregon town. Then she'd spent the next two days unpacking her things at her new house and clinic. Her first day as the town doctor of Arkadia hadn't gone as well as she'd hoped either. She'd taken over the clinic from the previous owner who'd decided to retire. Dr. Hardgrove was a friend of a friend and had given her a way out when she'd desperately needed it. He'd failed to mention that his patients were extremely loyal and not excited about the idea of a new doctor especially a young one. She'd been butting heads with a lot of people long before Sheriff Bellamy Blake wandered in after hours.

Clarke let herself into her house and breathed a sigh of relief. She tossed her keys down on the entry table and stepped out of her shoes. Her new home might be a disaster, but at least it was hers. The small home she'd bought was a fixer upper. It needed a lot of work, but she was willing to put the time and effort in. After all, it kept her mind off things. She poured herself a glass of wine and took a small sip. As she was contemplating whether to order take out or cook her cell rang.

"Hi Mom," Clarke answered the phone, willing her voice to remain normal.

"Clarke," Her mother's voice sounded strained. Guilt swept through Clarke at the sound of it. Abby Griffin didn't deserve what Clarke had done, but she hadn't known what else to do. "I was getting worried. Where have you been? I went by your apartment, but my key wouldn't work. What's going on?"

The conversation she'd been avoiding was suddenly impossible to ignore. She hadn't meant to hurt anyone, especially her mother, but she hadn't seen any choice. Not if she was going to move on from what had happened.

"I moved. I'm sure the landlord probably changed the locks by now," Clarke dumped the glass of wine down the drain. It was starting to taste bitter running down her throat.

"You what? Why didn't you tell me? I would have helped you," Abby replied. "Where did you go? Closer to the hospital I hope. You always were too far away where you were before."

"No I didn't. It's actually a long way from the hospital," Clarke almost smiled at her joke. Under normal circumstances it might have been funny, but this was anything but normal. "Mom I left New York City. I left the whole state actually."

There was a long pause on the other end. Clarke worried she might have accidentally sent her mother over the edge finally. Lord knows her headstrong attitude, which she'd received from her mother, had tested their relationship enough as it was when she was growing up. Now, after everything that had happened, she never wanted that part of her to emerge again. It's what had started the whole mess to begin with.

"Clarke I don't understand. Where are you?" The hysteria in her voice was prevalent now and Clarke wished she hadn't been the one to put it there.

"In a little town on the Oregon coast. I'm running their medical clinic," Clarke replied. "Please don't worry Mom. I just needed a change."

"Clarke what happened wasn't your fault," Abby implored and Clarke suppressed a sigh. This was one of the reasons she'd had to leave. Despite her mother's intentions, her constant reassurances that everything hadn't been her fault only made her feel worse. It had been her fault. Everything had.

"I'd like to believe that, but I can't believe in what's not true," Clarke furiously swiped at a tear that trailed down her cheek. "I needed a fresh start. I hope you can understand that."

"I suppose so. I just wish it hadn't all been a secret," The hysteria was gone from her mother's voice, now replaced with a profound sadness that seemed to creep out of the phone and settle in every bone in Clarke's body. "Can I visit you sometime?"

"Of course Mom," Clarke swallowed back a sob, not wanting to upset her mother further than she already had. "Just not yet ok? The house I bought is in need of some help and I'd rather not have visitors until it's fixed."

"Ok baby," Abby replied. There was a long pause on the other end and Clarke could imagine her mother fiddling with the necklace that held her engagement ring. Although Clarke's mother had remarried, she still kept the ring from her first husband, Jake, with her every day. Clarke's father had been killed when she was a teenager and her mother had kept the ring on a chain around her neck since the day he died. She fiddled with it when she was upset. "I hope you find what you're looking for."

"Thanks. Say hello to Marcus for me," Clarke said referring to her step-father Marcus Kane. He was in the mayoral race this year which made her decision to flee that much worse. She hoped she didn't hurt his campaign by doing what she'd done.

Clarke hung up and tossed the phone in her purse. The idea of food long forgotten, she made her way to her bedroom where she stripped down to her bra and panties and crawled under the covers. She fell asleep that night with tears staining her cheeks.


	3. Chapter 3

Bellamy sat down at his usual booth at the local cafe and was waiting for Charlotte to return with his coffee when the new doctor, Clarke Griffin, walked in. She went up to the counter and ordered a black coffee. Like a magnet her gaze immediately found his and a small smile adorned her beautiful face. She thanked the girl who handed her a to-go cup of coffee and paid for her drink then made her way over to his booth.

"Sheriff," She nodded to the empty seat across from him. "Mind if I sit?"

"Sure," Bellamy replied.

"I owe you an apology and Jasper as well," She set her purse by her side, but kept an arm through the strap as if she needed to make a quick getaway. "A long day doesn't excuse my rudeness."

"It's ok. I didn't even consider it being your first day. I forgot Hargrove had finally retired," Bellamy thanked Charlotte when she returned with his coffee. "Charlotte can you bring two of my normal order. Our new doc needs her strength."

"Sure," Charlotte replied with a smile despite Clarke's protests.

"How did your first day go? I can't image the people around here were very excited about something new," Bellamy asked completely ignoring her protests.

"That's an understatement," Clarke replied and took a sip of her coffee. "You'd think I hadn't spent years in medical school the way the people around here treated me. They second guessed me all day long and picked fights at every chance. Dr. Hardgrove really compelled loyalty that's for sure."

"He's been here longer than most people can remember. It's understandable they'd be skeptical," Bellamy said.

"I suppose. Did you get Jasper home safely?"

"Yea I did," Bellamy had left Jasper in his best friend Monty's hands. They lived next door to each other, as they had their whole lives.

"How long ago did she die?"

"It's been a few months now," Bellamy explained. "To be honest he's not getting much better. I don't know how to help him anymore. One of these days I'm going to be pulling his dead body from a fight, not a beaten up one."

"Healing takes time," Clarke replied.

Bellamy watched as a sadness crept into her eyes and a weight seemed to press down on her shoulders. It was like it had taken over her whole body. Something had happened to this woman and it was eating her alive. Before he could ask her about it their food came and along with it, his sister Octavia.

"Hey Bell," Octavia sat down in the booth beside him and grabbed one of the pieces of fruit off his plate.

"Hey," Bellamy teased although they both knew he didn't really mean it. He'd practically raised her and was a big softie when it came to her. "What do you want?"

"Will you please tell your cronies to stop giving me tickets?"

"Stop earning them and they will," Bellamy gave his sister a pointed look. She had a tendency to speed and at first his deputies had given her passes since she was his sister until Bellamy had found out. Then he'd told them not to give his sister special treatment.

"Come on Bell it's not like I'm going that fast," She slumped back against the seat and pouted at him.

"Don't give me that look Octavia. It's bad enough you ride that damn motorcycle, which I still hate by the way," Bellamy ignored the look and barreled on. "You could get seriously hurt if you keep speeding on it. I'm trying to help you learn that."

"Whatever you say big brother," Octavia turned to Clarke who was watching the two with a smirk on her face. "I'm Octavia Blake by the way. This jackass is my brother. He likes to control my life."

Clarke laughed and her blue eyes lit up causing a flutter in Bellamy's chest. She needed to do that more often.

"I'm Clarke Griffin the new doctor at the clinic," She extended her hand and the two women shook hands. "Nice to meet you."

"You coming to the festival this weekend?" Octavia picked more fruit off Bellamy's plate which earned her a glare from the sheriff although he still made no move to stop her.

"What festival?"

"It's an annual festival to celebrate the end of school and kick off summer," Bellamy explained. "There's usually lots of food, live music, craft booths. Sometimes the city council even manages to get some rides."

"You should come," Octavia picked one more piece of fruit off before picking up her riding gloves from the table. "In fact, I insist. I want to get to know you better."

"Ok I'll be there," Clarke glanced at Bellamy in confusion, but he just gave her a look that clearly said to go along with it.

Octavia wrote her number on a napkin and slide it across the table to Clarke then made her exit.

"Sorry she's a little strong willed," Bellamy grabbed his fork and started on his breakfast.

"That's ok," Clarke ate the eggs in front of her and found herself relaxing as she sat across from the lawman. He seemed completely at ease in the small town. Everyone that came through the cafe knew him and stopped to say hello. Despite his young age, he was obviously respected here. "How long have you lived here?"

"My whole life," Bellamy asked Charlotte for the check and a to-go cup of coffee. "I didn't have an ideal childhood, but I love this place. It's home."

Bellamy paid the tab, against Clarke's protestations, and reached across to grab the napkin Octavia had written her number on. He scribbled his number below hers and slide it back to Clarke with a smile.

"Thanks for the company Princess," He stood and thanked Charlotte on his way out, leaving Clarke smiling at his back.


	4. Chapter 4

Clarke was finishing up setting a broken arm on a young boy when the clinic door opened. It had been a quiet morning so far and she was hoping this was her last patient for a little while. She wanted to get some paperwork done rather than have to take it home. After giving the boy's mother instructions and reassuring the boy he'd still have a great summer despite the cast, she sent them on their way. She braced herself for the next patient in the waiting room only to be surprised to find Octavia Blake along with another dark haired woman.

"Octavia," Clarke was pleasantly surprised to find the sheriff's sister here. "What brings you here?"

"We thought you'd be swamped so we brought you some lunch, but it's like a cemetery in here," Octavia held up a large greasy bag that smelled wonderful and immediately made Clarke's mouth water. "Want to take a break?"

"Sure," Clarke led the women to the back patio, keeping the back door propped open just in case a patient came in. There was a picnic table under a big umbrella out back where they set up the food.

"This is Raven Reyes," Octavia introduced the brunette. "She owns the auto shop in town with her boyfriend Wick."

"Nice to meet you. I'm Clarke Griffin," She replied.

"Nice to meet you too. You seem to have made quite an impression on both Blake's," Raven grabbed a fry from the pile in the middle of the table that they were sharing.

"Really? I just met Bellamy two days ago and Octavia yesterday. I was that impressive?" Clarke teased Octavia who punched Raven playfully.

"I'm just excited to see Bellamy smile that's all," Octavia replied. "I've never seen him flirt with anyone. I was starting to think he'd never find someone."

Clarke stopped short, the food in her mouth suddenly tasting like sand. When she'd come here, she wanted a quiet place to heal. Not to attract attention. She continued to chew and swallowed the bite forcing a smile on her face so as not to alarm the two women.

"Flirt? I hardly would consider yesterday flirting," Clarke replied.

"Not according to Charlotte," Raven took a bite of the sandwich in her hand.

"She must be mistaken," Clarke said.

"Charlotte doesn't miss much," Octavia said squinting at the sudden change in the doctor. As if sensing she needed a subject change, Octavia let the topic go. "So are you excited about the festival?"

"Yes I suppose," Clarke breathed a sigh of relief. She silently thanked Octavia for realizing Clarke's need for a new topic. "It'll be nice to get to know my patients outside the clinic. Maybe it'll help them trust me."

"The people around here are just resistant to change that's all," Raven shrugged her shoulders. "A lot of these people have lived here their whole lives and only know Hardgrove as their doctor. Give them time and they'll get their panties out of a twist."

Clarke laughed, finding herself relaxing now that the topic had strayed from dangerous territory. Raven turned out to be funny, witty, and blunt which Clarke very much appreciated. She had lived here for most of her life. The only time spent away was a long stint in a rehab hospital in Portland after a car accident had nearly cost her her right leg. She wore a brace now and after a long year of therapy was now able to walk.

Octavia was just as blunt, but had a hard edge to her. It was obvious to Clarke, as it had been to her yesterday at the diner with Bellamy, that her life hadn't exactly been great. She seemed to be at ease with who she was now, something it seemed obvious had taken her a long time to achieve. She lived on a farm on the outskirts of the town with her boyfriend Lincoln, the local artist Bellamy had mentioned. To Clarke's shock, she ran a therapy program using horses.

"It's slow going right now, but we manage," She'd modestly explained. "I put myself through school and just finished getting my certifications. It'll help that I'm the only type of therapy using animals in a fifty mile radius."

Clarke was incredibly impressed by this woman. She wore her battle scars proudly, but she didn't let them control her. They made her stronger.

Raven headed back to her shop 45 minutes later leaving Octavia and Clarke alone. They cleaned their lunch off the patio table and made their way back inside. Clarke threw the remaining cold fries in the trash.

"Thanks for this Octavia," Clarke turned to the brunette and squeezed her forearm. "I've never really had many girl friends. It's nice."

"We're not very girly, but we're definitely loyal," Octavia grabbed her bag and slung it over her shoulder. "See you at the festival. Text me when you get there and we'll introduce you to the rest of the group."

Clarke walked her to the door and waved as she sped away on her motorcycle. She was suddenly terrified of the thought of going to the festival. She'd only spent a short amount of time with Bellamy, Octavia and Raven but she already felt closer to them than anyone she'd left behind other than her mom and Marcus. Anyone close to her was in danger. They'd all been through enough as it was.


	5. Chapter 5

Saturday morning by noon Clarke had been up for hours scraping wallpaper off the living room walls. She couldn't sleep the night before, worrying about everything. She was partway through the kitchen when a knock sounded on her front door. Blowing the hair out of her eyes, she pulled off her gloves and opened the door to find Bellamy on the other side.

"Hey," Despite the worry that had kept her up she was still glad to see him. She narrowed her eyes at him. "How'd you know where I live?"

"Sheriff remember?" Bellamy smiled at her, letting his eyes run over her shorts and t-shirt clad body. "What are you up to?"

"Peeling off wallpaper," She replied.

"Sounds like tons of fun," Bellamy sarcastically remarked. "Want some help?"

"Seriously? You're actually offering to help me?" Clarke stepped back to allow him entry into the disaster zone.

"Ouch Princess," Bellamy shut the door and followed her into the kitchen. He took in the rooster wallpaper and chuckled. "Farm animals aren't your thing?"

"Definitely not," Clarke grabbed another pair of rubber gloves for herself and one for Bellamy. "Seriously though, thanks for helping. I was starting to talk to myself."

"Secretly crazy doc?" Bellamy pulled on the gloves and got to work on the wall she hadn't touched yet.

"No just not used to being by myself so much," Clarke grabbed the corner of the piece in front of her and slowly pulled on it. "Between my mom and my friend Wells I always had someone to talk to."

"Your mom ok with you moving out here?"

"I wouldn't say ok, but she didn't have a choice. Besides she just got remarried last year so she probably wouldn't notice I was gone," Clarke knew that wasn't entirely true, but it was easier to believe than the fact that she'd broken her mother's heart.

"I doubt that's true," Bellamy glanced her way with a frown. Her shoulders were slumped and she wasn't paying him any attention. Whatever she'd left behind was obviously still bothering her. "Where is home?"

"New York City," Clarke sent a tentative smile his way. This was easy to talk about. A safe topic. "My mom was the head of surgery at the hospital we worked at and my new stepfather is running for mayor actually. He'll probably win too. He's good at rallying people to his cause."

"Sounds like a great life," Bellamy replied. "Why leave?"

"Lots of reasons," Clarke stated in an evasive voice.

Clarke tried to steer Bellamy to other topics after that trying to purposely avoid talking about herself and her life back home. That was getting too dangerously close to what had happened and she would never place the burden of that on someone else. It was hers to bear. They worked steadily for another two hours before hunger forced them to stop.

"You guys have a decent pizza place?" Clarke pulled off her rubber gloves and tossed them in the trash.

"Absolutely," Bellamy pulled his cell out of his pocket and punched in a phone number.

Thirty minutes later they were sitting at her kitchen table with a pizza box between them. Clarke took a bite of her second piece and moaned. Bellamy was stuck between amusement and arousal at the noise. He decided to go with amusement since he didn't want to freak her out.

"What'd I tell you," Bellamy chuckled.

"Oh my god," She smiled at him and nodded in agreement. "This might be the best pizza I've ever had."

"Told you," He reached for his third piece and took a swig of his beer. "Don't get too full though. We have to introduce you to all the sweets this town has to offer at the festival later."

Clarke's smile dropped. The festival. She'd been having such a good time with Bellamy she'd forgotten her decision not to get any closer to them. "I'm not sure I'll make the festival."

Bellamy narrowed his eyes at her in confusion. He could sense something was off with this woman. He was a cop after all. The lie that poured off her tongue sent his instincts flaring up. Although most people would assume she was running from something she'd done, he got the sense she was a victim and she was running from the pain of it.

"Look," Bellamy scooted as close to her as he thought safe and grabbed her hand in his. "I don't know what happened to make you come here. And I'm not asking you to tell me. We're just trying to get to know you better. O and Raven won't stop talking about you and Jasper keeps begging me to introduce him so he can explain himself."

Clarke chuckled and squeezed his hand. "I'm sorry. I don't mean to seem rude. I just..."

Clarke trailed off, not sure what to say to explain herself without giving away her secret. She wasn't ready for that. She might not ever be. Thankfully Bellamy seemed to understand and nodded.

"I get it," He replied and rubbed a comforting hand across her forearm. "We all have our demons. Don't let it control you though. We won't bite. I swear."

Clarke laughed and nodded. "Thanks. I'll just go take a shower. Then we can go to the festival."

Bellamy nodded and smiled back at her. She started for the hallway leading to her bedroom and bath, but at the last second changed her mind. Turning back towards him she threw her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly. He stood surprised for a second then wrapped his arms tightly around her waist.

"Thank you for what you said," Clarke pulled back and placed a kiss on his cheek. Then fled down the hallway towards her master bedroom and bath before she broke down and said even more than she already had.


	6. Chapter 6

**Thank you everyone for all the follows! I'm glad you've enjoyed it so far. I'm about to go on vacation tomorrow so I'm going to post another chapter tonight. I would really love some feedback though so if I can get a few comments I'll try and get a couple chapters posted to hold you over until I return from my trip! Your comments empower me to be better so thank you for anything you have to say!**

 **Also, a side note - I took a little liberty with Jake Griffin's likes/dislikes! I wanted Bellamy and Clarke to have something in common that she and her dad used to do together.**

Bellamy stood in Clarke's kitchen with his arms held slightly away from his sides in shock. He hadn't expected that, but he'd definitely enjoyed it. There was definitely something spooking this woman. Maybe with time he'd be able to get her to trust him enough to let him help her.

Clarke found him about half an hour later in front of her bookcase in the living room. She'd taken the extra time to dry her hair after the shower just so she could calm her racing heart. When Bellamy had wrapped his arms around her she hadn't wanted to let go although she knew she had to. She'd put on a pair of jeans and grabbed her favorite top that showed a little cleavage without being too much.

"Found something interesting?" Clarke asked startling him.

Bellamy glanced over his shoulder and almost did a double take. She was beautiful in shorts and a t-shirt, but even more gorgeous now. The emerald green short sleeved shirt she wore clung to her curves and gave him just a peak at her cleavage. She wore a simple gold necklace and her hair was down around her back in waves.

"Uh yea," He cleared his throat and tried his best to make it seem like he hadn't been staring at her. "You've got an impressive history collection here."

"Yea my dad was a bit of a history buff," Clarke leaned against the doorjamb and smiled. "We used to watch old historical movies or documentaries all the time."

"Really?" Bellamy's eyes danced with appreciation. "I used to try and get Octavia to watch them with me, but she wouldn't. Told me I was boring instead."

"You're not boring," Clarke approached the bookcase and playfully bumped her hip with his. "I think it's awesome. We'll have to watch some together sometime."

"Absolutely," Bellamy replied enthusiastically. "You ready to go?"

Clarke climbed into Bellamy's car and tried not to show how nervous she was. She was slightly disappointed in herself for how quickly she'd abandoned her pact not to get close to anyone. She couldn't hurt anyone if they didn't know any specific details about her right? If she didn't tell them what happened then they were safe from her.

Bellamy pulled into the police station parking lot on the edge of the center of town. The town square was littered with booths that held everything from crafts like jewelry making to iron work, businesses trying to get new customers and as Bellamy had mentioned food. There were also a few rides as well with a fairly decent sized Ferris Wheel among them. There was a stage in the middle along with a huge dance floor and a group of teens were playing what sounded to her like an awful version of a Journey song.

"Don't worry," Bellamy chuckled at the horrified look on her face. "The better bands start when it gets dark."

They walked the half block to the festival and turned when they both heard their names being called. Octavia was sitting at a picnic table by the stage and dance floor waving them over. She was sitting next to a tall black man and Raven was across from her with a blonde man. Jasper was there as well along with an Asian man. Jasper looked nervous when he noticed her and Clarke smiled, trying to ease his embarrassment.

"You weren't kidding about Jasper," She whispered to Bellamy who chuckled in response.

"I think that night was a wake-up call," Bellamy's amusement disappeared as they slowly approached the table. "We've been telling him since it happened to get help and he kept saying he was fine, but not knowing what happened the night before and waking up to stitches scared the shit out of him."

"Hey Clarke," Octavia interrupted them before Clarke could respond. "Bummed a ride off the Sheriff huh?"

"Better than having her circle the square a thousand times looking for parking," Bellamy replied. He pointed to the asian man and introduced him as Monty and the blonde man next to Raven as her boyfriend Wick. Finally he introduced the black man as Octavia's boyfriend, and the local up and coming artist he'd previously mentioned, Lincoln. "And you already know Jasper."

"Right," She smiled at Jasper hoping to ease the obvious tension he was exhibiting. "How's your head?"

"Much better," He nodded awkwardly.

"I'm going to go grab a beer. You want anything Princess?" Bellamy asked causing Octavia and Raven's eyebrows to shoot up in surprise.

"A beer sounds great," Clarke replied with a smile. Bellamy rubbed her back before heading towards one of the booths that was acting as the bar. She turned to find both women at the table staring at her. "What?"

"Oh nothing," Raven looked back to Octavia to find the girl smiling as well.

"Princess?" Octavia questioned.

"Yea it's a nickname I guess," Clarke smiled at the endearment. Despite her resolve to not get close to anyone again she was having a hard time with the local sheriff. "I wasn't exactly the nicest person to him when we first met. I think it was originally meant as an insult, but its kind of stuck."

"Here you go," Bellamy suddenly appeared at her side and handed her the beer before either girl could respond.

"So Clarke how do you like Arkadia so far?" Monty asked.

Clarke sat down at the table. "It's nice. Definitely a change of pace."

"Where are you from?" Wick asked.

"New York City," Clarke replied.

Clarke spent the next hour getting to know Bellamy's group of friends. Lincoln was a quiet yet obviously brilliant man. He also adored Octavia which Clarke found envious yet incredibly sweet. Wick was just as bold and blunt as Raven which made them the perfect pair. He was also hilarious and after just the short amount of time she'd spent with them had her laughing harder than she had in years. Monty turned out to be one of the sweetest people she'd met here so far. He picked up on her discomfort at talking about her past almost immediately and had steered the conversation elsewhere. Bellamy stood at her back the whole time, laughing along with his friends. It felt comfortable having him so close and she had to fight the urge to lean back against him.

Jasper remained incredibly quiet and avoided looking at her even when she tried making eye contact with him. Before she could reach out two police officers called out to Bellamy and approached the table. One was a tall sandy haired woman who wrapped her arms around Monty's neck from behind when she reached the table. He happily rubbed her arm in reply. The other was a black man who clapped Bellamy on the back.

"Everything's quiet tonight so far boss," He said glancing down at Clarke. "You must be Clarke. I'm Nate Miller. Everyone calls me Miller."

"Nice to meet you," Clarke shook his hand as the woman introduced herself as Harper.

"Just keep doing some rounds and I'll relieve you guys in a couple hours," Bellamy replied. Miller nodded and headed off, Harper kissed Monty before she followed him and split off in the opposite direction.

"You really need cops to patrol this thing?" Clarke asked Bellamy. "It seems pretty tame to me."

"It is mostly," Bellamy shrugged his shoulders.

"There's teenagers that like to hang out behind the booths and smoke weed or drink," Octavia guiltily glanced up at her brother. "Myself included when I was their age. Bellamy likes to patrol just to make sure they don't get hurt mostly."

Clarke smiled up at Bellamy who had the grace to look embarrassed. The more she learned about this man the more her resolve to not get close to anyone flew out the window. It scared the hell out of her which is the only thing that held her back. About a half hour later the band changed which triggered not just the couples at their table, but at neighboring tables to jump up and head to the dance floor. Octavia grabbed Lincoln who happily followed her and Raven did the same with Wick.

"They're a popular band around here," Bellamy explained at her confused look. "They're not exactly good enough to make it big, but they make this festival fun. Want to dance?"

Clarke glanced at Jasper who was still avoiding her gaze. She stood and whispered to Bellamy, "Yes, but give me a minute with Jasper first ok?"

"Sure Princess," Bellamy smiled at her and grabbed Monty, leading him towards the bar in the guise of getting another drink.

Clarke walked around to the other side of the table and straddled the bench facing Jasper. She gently placed her hand on his forearm and squeezed. He looked at her with obvious shame in his eyes along with an immense grief that seemed to pour out of him.

"Jasper it's ok," Clarke said trying to get him to understand. "Grief is expressed in so many different ways. I worked in the ER back in New York and I've seen it all. Anger, despair, confusion. I've even seen joy that their loved one isn't suffering anymore. You're not different or weird. You're just grieving."

"I'm sorry Clarke," Jasper looked at her and she saw relief in his eyes this time. "You caught me at my worst possible moment. I just don't know how to live without her. It was unfair, the way she was taken."

"I know. Bellamy told me," She squeezed his forearm again in silent support. "Grief takes time Jasper. Don't ever be ashamed of it. Just be careful how you express it. I don't want to have to stitch you again."

Jasper chuckled and pulled Clarke unexpectedly into a hug. Clarke smiled and wrapped her arms around him thankful that she'd seemed to make a difference for someone. At least she could help others even though she couldn't seem to help herself.


	7. Chapter 7

**Hello everyone! I'm back from my vacation and wanted to give you another chapter. Also, I got caught up and watched the finale of season 4 last night and I cannot handle my Bellarke feels! So many ideas are running through my brain since watching. As always, thank you and any comments are welcome!**

Bellamy glanced back at the picnic table to see Jasper pull Clarke into a tight hug. She looked shocked for a moment before giving into the hug and returning it. Bellamy smiled. He knew she'd be able to get through to Jasper. Whatever she'd gone through back home gave her an empathy towards Jasper that none of the rest of them could achieve.

"Thank god," Monty breathed a sigh of relief next to him as he watched the two embrace. "I was starting to think he'd never snap out of it. She's amazing."

"Yea she is," Bellamy stared at Clarke, not realizing how that statement sounded to Monty who was staring at his friend curiously unbeknownst to the sheriff.

The two men approached the picnic table as Clarke leaned back from Jasper. Monty set a drink down in front of Jasper and Bellamy offered his hand to Clarke. She let him lead her on to the dance floor, his hand wrapped in hers. As they approached the floor the band started a slow song. As if they'd been doing it for years, Clarke's arms slid up around Bellamy's neck while his snaked around her waist coming to rest on her lower back.

"That was really nice what you did for Jasper," Bellamy said as they slowly moved to the song.

"I know what he's going through," Clarke replied sadly.

"Your dad right?" Bellamy had noticed her use of the past tense earlier that day when she'd spoken of her father. He hadn't wanted to push her earlier. She seemed so spooked as it was.

"Yea," She nodded as she slid her hands from around his neck to rest against his chest. "He died when I was in high school. I miss him like hell. I expressed my grief a lot like Jasper has been. Got into a few fights before my mom finally got through to me. I'd picked a fight with someone twice my size and he stabbed me. Narrowly missed my liver and my mom was the unfortunate doctor on duty in the surgical wing when they brought me in. It scared the shit out of her. I finally saw what it was doing to her and I got help."

"I'm so sorry Princess," Bellamy rubbed a comforting hand up her back which seemed to relax her even more. "No one deserves that."

"It made me stronger," Clarke shivered when Bellamy's hand traveled up her back again. It was hypnotizing being so close to him like this. "This will make Jasper stronger too. He just doesn't know it yet."

He ran his hand up her back again just for the simple pleasure of watching her reaction. This time she sighed a little and seemed to settle her body more against him. She looked up at him with arousal in her eyes. He would have settled his lips against hers, but he also saw fear buried in her eyes too. Whatever she was running from was stopping her from giving in.

He leaned down and placed his forehead against hers. "It's ok Princess. I'm not going anywhere. I've got plenty of time."

Clarke sighed. This man was a good man. He'd shown that more than once in the short time she'd known him and she wished she could let him kiss her. But everything she'd run from would catch up to her if she did. She didn't want to hurt anyone else.

"I'm sorry Bellamy," She whispered back.

"I know," He replied cursing when his phone interrupted. "Yea?"

"Hey boss," Miller sounded pissed and there were angry shouts around him. "Sorry to call you in early, but we've got a situation over here behind Miss Riley's booth. We need help."

"I'll be right there," Bellamy hung up and squeezed Clarke's hips. "I gotta go. Something's going on. Stick around though and I'll take you home when I'm done later."

Clarke nodded and watched him disappear in the crowd. Before she could walk back to the picnic table Octavia and Raven grabbed her and pulled her to the center of the floor. Lincoln and Wick were heading toward the bar.

"Is there something you'd like to share?" Octavia teased.

"What do you mean?" Clarke tried to play dumb although she knew that everyone on the dance floor had probably seen them.

"Oh come on," Raven crossed her arms over her chest.

"Look it's nothing ok? I'm not looking for any type of relationship right now," Clarke quickly replied. "Thanks for everything tonight. I've had a great time."

"Wait Clarke!" Octavia called after her.

Clarke ignored her and started walking away from the festivities. She'd made it all of a mile before the tears started flowing. All she'd wanted was to escape from what had happened and live a quiet life. Instead she'd walked right into a town filled with people she felt like she'd known her entire life. These were great people and under normal circumstances she'd love to get to know them better and spend more time with them. But there was nothing normal about these circumstances and she couldn't bear to hurt anyone else.


	8. Chapter 8

**Thank you all for the comments! I'm so glad to know you're all excited about this story. As a 'thank you' I'll give you two more chapters :) ! Enjoy!**

Bellamy pulled up to Clarke's house a few days after the festival. He'd given her space afterwards especially after Octavia told him she'd practically sprinted out of the festival when she and Raven questioned her about what they'd seen. There was something from her past haunting her and he wanted her to know he was here for her. It was a crazy thought considering he'd met her only a little over a week ago, but they'd all agreed it was like they'd known her all their lives. Jasper wouldn't stop asking about her and both Raven and O considered her part of the group already. And Bellamy? He couldn't stop thinking about her. No matter how hard he tried.

He walked up to her front door and knocked, smiling when she pulled open the door. "Hey."

"Hey," She looked ashamed when she saw him. "What are you doing here?"

"I was about to head into the station, but wanted to swing by and check on you," Bellamy stuffed his hands in his pockets in an effort not to reach for her. She looked beautiful as usual in a pair of jeans and purple tank top. "O said you left in a hurry the other night."

"I'm sorry about that," Clarke felt like a jerk. These people had been nothing but nice to her and she'd fled. That was beginning to become her MO. "Do you want to come in first? I just finished making some coffee."

"Yea that sounds great," He followed her inside and into the kitchen where she grabbed an extra mug from the cabinet. She offered him sugar and milk both of which he declined. He took the opportunity to look her over. She had bags under her eyes and she looked exhausted. "Are you ok?"

"Yes," She smiled up at him, but it lacked the brightness he'd become accustomed to. "Why?"

"You just seem..." Bellamy tried to search for the right word that didn't make him sound like an ass. "Exhausted."

"I haven't been sleeping all that well," Clarke took a sip of the mug of coffee in her hand. She put it down and met his curious gaze. More than anything else he looked concerned, not mad or upset as she'd envisioned. She owed him a small explanation. If she couldn't give away the full truth, then a small part at least. She put the mug aside and reached out for him. He set his mug aside as well and allowed her to take his hands. "Look you guys have been nothing but nice to me. I don't mean to act distant it's just things happened to me back home and to the people I cared about and I had to leave otherwise I was just going to make it worse."

"If anyone understands that feeling it's me. Octavia, Raven, and Jasper too," Bellamy released her hands and pulled her into a hug. "You don't have to tell me what happened. It doesn't matter to me. Just know that we, me especially, are here for you."

"That's what I'm afraid of," She whispered against his chest. "People who get close get hurt."

"Clarke, that's crazy," He cupped her face in his hands and met her terrified eyes. "We're pretty resilient around here. We don't go down easily. Besides it's not like someone is after you right?"

Clarke shook her head. "No, not exactly."

"Then what's there to worry about? You've made quite an impression on everyone around here. We want you to stick around," He stroked his thumbs across her jaw.

"You guys are too nice to me," Clarke wrapped her arms around his waist and laid her head back against his chest. Bellamy threaded his fingers through her hair with one hand and wrapped his other arm around her back. "Thanks for being so understanding Bellamy."

"I'm your friend Clarke," Bellamy replied although in his heart he wanted more than that. He had since the first moment when she'd challenged him rather than giving into his charm like most women did. "That's what friends are for."

Clarke pulled back and smiled. She wiped the tears that had spilled out from her cheeks and reached for her mug of coffee. After draining that cup and putting it in the dishwasher she filled a travel mug with the remainder of the pot.

"I'll follow you out," She took the empty mug he handed back to her and also placed that in the dishwasher. "I was getting ready to head to the clinic myself."

Clarke followed him to the front door with her purse slung over her shoulder. She pulled the door shut and locked it. Bellamy was watching her closely and didn't seem to care that he'd been caught.

"Will you be ok?"

"Yea I'll be fine," Clarke placed her hand on his chest and smiled. "Thanks for checking on me."

"Ok. Call me if you need anything," Bellamy pressed a quick kiss to her temple before heading towards his car. He rolled down his window after he'd climbed in. "Hey Princess. Octavia's having a BBQ at her place on Friday. You up for it?"

Clarke considered the offer. She knew she should refuse and come up with an excuse. She was getting attached to these people and that wasn't good. But how was she supposed to move on if she didn't let people in? She'd end up completely alone and she didn't want that.

"That sounds great Bellamy," She smiled when he beamed back at her, knowing she'd made the right choice. "Just text me her address and the time. I'll be there."

Her heart started to beat faster as the anxiety started to rear its' ugly head. She took a deep breath when he drove off in an effort to calm down. She couldn't bury herself in home improvement projects forever. Maybe it was time to move on from what had happened and start living her life again rather than running away.


	9. Chapter 9

Clarke pulled up to Octavia and Lincoln's farm in early afternoon on Friday. She'd received a text from Octavia demanding that she show up early before all the boys so they could have some decent girl time. Even Harper was going to spend some time with them before she had to go in to work. Clarke was trying her best to be nervous and afraid of the consequences that being here should invoke, but she honestly didn't feel any of that. All she felt was excited and looking forward to some drinks and an evening with people she definitely considered friends.

Octavia and Lincoln's house was exactly what she'd pictured a home in the woods to look like. It had a wide porch that spread the length of the single story house from one end to the other complete with a porch swing on one end and rocking chairs at the other. It had cute shutters and planter boxes with colorful flowers. Sitting next to the house was a large barn. Beyond that she could see a large corral area where she assumed the horses were used.

"Clarke! Glad you found the place," Octavia stood on the porch in a pair of jeans and a t-shirt. She had her hair up in a ponytail and looked completely relaxed.

"Bellamy gave me great directions," Clarke climbed the steps and accepted the hug Octavia offered.

"Come on in," Octavia opened the door and showed her inside. "Raven and Harper are out on the back deck."

Clarke followed her out to the deck and accepted the beer she offered from a cooler that was sitting outside the sliding door. Raven had a beer in her hand while Harper was just drinking a soda to which she adamantly reiterated did not mean she was pregnant, just that she had to work later.

"We're just teasing you Harper," Octavia jumped up to sit on the railing of the deck and took a sip of her beer. "Unless you have something to confess."

"No way," Harper shook her head. "I'm so not ready for that part of my life yet."

"Good cause we aren't ready for babysitting duty yet," Raven teased.

Clarke found herself relaxing the more time she spent with the girls. They were purposely including her in the conversation without asking about her past or mentioning what they'd seen at the festival between her and Bellamy. Clarke even found herself joining in when the girls were teasing Octavia about her latest speeding ticket which she swore she didn't deserve. About two hours later, after they'd made it through half a case of beer already, Lincoln arrived followed by Wick, Monty, Miller and Jasper.

"Ugh I have to head out," Harper stated as she checked her watch. She reached for Octavia and pulled her into a hug then did the same with Raven and Clarke. "Thanks ladies. I needed some girl time."

Clarke was sad to see Harper go, but was also glad as well although she'd never say it out loud. Harper leaving meant Bellamy was soon to arrive and the beer in Clarke's system was lowering all of her inhibitions. Octavia cleared her throat and met Clarke's eyes.

"What's up O?" Clarke raised her eyebrow and took a sip of her beer as Bellamy's sister came and stood next to her against the rail of the deck.

"He should be here in about 45 minutes or so," Octavia smiled knowingly at Clarke. "He'll probably go home and shower and change first. He'll want to make sure he cleans up for you."

"Stop Octavia," Clarke said as she felt her cheeks blush. She tried, but couldn't keep the anger out of her voice. She honestly was looking forward to seeing him. "There's nothing going on. I'm still new here and I have a lot going on. My house is a disaster and I'm still trying to get the people here to accept me."

"That house is a disaster," Octavia sarcastically replied. "When Bell told me you'd bought that old place I was shocked. I didn't know you were up for such a challenge."

"You want the honest truth?" Clarke asked. "I didn't think I'd have this many friends so quickly. I thought I'd be spending most of my time alone so the challenge didn't seem like that big of a deal."

"Joke's on you," Octavia teased then went to go greet Lincoln.

Clarke smiled as Octavia jumped into her boyfriend's arms and wrapped herself around him in greeting. She spent the next 45 minutes speaking with Raven and Wick. She tried to promise herself she wouldn't look at her watch until Bellamy arrived and to her surprise she didn't. The two were so hilarious together that she found herself getting lost in their company. So when she felt a pair of hands grab her hips she jumped a mile high.

"Shit!" Clarke jumped and turned to find Bellamy behind her grinning. She smacked him on the arm. "You scared me!"

"Sorry Princess," He wrapped an arm around her shoulder in silent apology. Then he slid his hand down her back, leaving a line of fire in its' wake, making her shiver. Just when she thought he'd keep his hands to himself he hooked his right thumb in her right back jeans pocket and rested his remaining fingers against her hip. Clarke looked up to find Octavia grinning at her to which Clarke rolled her eyes and tried to play it off.

Bellamy didn't spend too much of the evening away from her side. He also kept a firm hand on her somewhere too whether that be a hand on her hip, an arm around her shoulder or a hand on her back. The only time he spent away from her was when they decided to play a game of touch football and they'd ended up on opposite teams. Clarke narrowed her eyes at Bellamy and smirked.

"You're going down Sheriff," She stood toe to toe with him with hands on her hips.

"We'll see," He smirked back then turned to join his team which consisted of Octavia, Wick, and Miller. Clarke's team consisted of Lincoln, Raven, Monty, and Jasper. Clarke joined the huddle where it was decided that both girls would act as wide receivers while Monty would be the running back and Lincoln the quarterback. The defense had to count to 10, with "Mississippi" in between, before they could rush the quarterback and Lincoln was confident they'd be able to win with both girls on their side. He already knew from past experience that Raven was fast and Clarke had assured them she was too.

At the first spike Clarke and Raven took off on both sides of the yard. Bellamy followed Clarke while Miller took off after Raven. Somehow Clarke knew Bellamy would be the one to cover her and she'd purposely gone slower than usual to start out. Just when she thought he felt comfortable with their proximity she turned on the jets and flew further past him just in time for Lincoln to launch the ball in her direction before Wick could rush him. In his surprise at her speed, Bellamy stopped altogether giving Clarke the opportunity. The ball landed in her arms perfectly and she took off towards the end of the yard where they'd set up the end-zone. She could hear her team screaming along, Raven the loudest. Right before she reached the end-zone Bellamy finally caught up to her and grabbed her hips to stop her progress. He collided with her back gently, but didn't let go of her hips.

"Damn Princess," He finally let go and bent at the waist to suck in air. "Where'd that come from?"

"100 yard dash state champ 4 years in a row," She teased. "Fast is the only speed I know."

She rushed to join her teammates in the huddle, very aware he was staring at her back. She was shocked at the comment she'd just made. The alcohol must be curbing her ability to keep her thoughts to herself - sexual or otherwise. The more alcohol she consumed the more she thought about how beautiful his dark eyes were or whether his curls were as soft as she pictured them to be.

It turned out that Raven and Clarke made a great team. They were both fast and could read each other like they'd played together for years. With their tag-team effort they crushed Bellamy's team much to his annoyance. They all agreed that next time they decided to play football Clarke and Raven would be captains so they wouldn't be able to beat their opponents so badly. After the game, Clarke and her teammates were sharing a celebratory drink together on the back deck.

"Here's to Clarke and Raven and their total destruction of the competition," Lincoln held his drink up in a toast. He had an arm around Octavia who was trying her best to be a sore loser, but was too excited for her friends to be fully annoyed.

They all cheered and clinked their beer bottles together. After the toast the group dispersed and Clarke started to notice the absence of her favorite opponent. She wandered into the house and couldn't find him inside anywhere. She finally caught a glimpse of him through the front window out on the front porch in the porch swing. She smiled as she pushed her way through the front door.

"Are you pouting out here?" She teased.

"No," He replied with a chuckle. He slid over to give her room to sit down next to him. She sat down and brought her legs up to rest next to her on the swing. Bellamy wrapped his arm around her shoulder. "I love sitting on this thing. It's peaceful out here."

"It is," Clarke rested her head against his shoulder. "This place is amazing. Octavia seems to have done well for herself."

Bellamy nodded in agreement. "After the shitty childhood we both had it's amazing she's done this well."

Clarke looked up to find Bellamy's jaw clenched. She reached up and ran her fingers gently over his jaw trying to soothe whatever pain was running through his head. He smiled down at her and kissed the back of her hand.

"Our mom was a mess. She was from Portland and got pregnant in high school," Bellamy gently started pushing the swing back and forth with his foot. "Her parents kicked her out. She made her way here and got a job as a waitress. She was ok the first year or so after I was born so I've been told, but not long after I turned 2 she started getting into drugs. She'd go on and off, but she never completely stopped. By the time she got pregnant with Octavia I was making my own meals, getting myself to and from school, and taking some of her cash for clothes when I needed it. To this day we don't know who Octavia's father is. My mom made her extra drug money by being a prostitute on top of everything else. He's probably one of those jerks."

Clarke didn't know how to respond to that. What they'd been through as kids made her problems seem like a bad day. Instead of trying to come up with platitudes she placed her hand over his heart and snuggled closer. Bellamy pulled her legs over his and wrapped his arm around her.

"My teenage years were spent trying to keep Octavia alive really. Our mom lost interest in us after Octavia was about 5. It was like we were roommates in our home, not a family. O and I went about our lives and our mom went about hers. When I turned 18 I asked Miller's dad, who was a deputy at the time, to help me figure out how to sue my mom for custody of O. With his help I got full custody and we moved in with Miller and his dad. They helped me go to school for criminal justice at night and work during the day."

"I'm glad you had them in your life," Clarke slid her hand from his heart to wrap around his waist. "What happened to her?"

"My first year as a deputy we got a call about a woman who'd fallen from the bridge on the other side of town," He rubbed a hand down the arm she had wrapped around his waist. This was an important part of who he was although he didn't normally share it with too many. Most people in town had lived to see it anyway and knew at least the basic details. Clarke was making it easy to tell and easy to cope with. "I got there and finally breathed a sigh of relief when I saw it was her. That took me a long time to forgive myself for feeling. I just wanted her to be at peace and she finally was. She'd been on a bender and had fallen and hit her head."

"I'm sorry you both had to go through that," Clarke looked up into his eyes. "You're amazing. You know that right?"

"I don't know about that," He shrugged. "We were just trying to survive."

"You stepped up for Octavia when she needed someone the most. You were an adult long before you should have been," Clarke was amazed at this man and his continual modesty. It was becoming a trait she'd noticed and that made him all the more appealing. "Not many would have survived what you did plus save your sister in the process."

He leaned down and pressed his lips against hers gently. When he pulled away there was nothing but respect in his dark eyes. "Thank you Princess."

"Hey guys," Jasper's voice carried from the house right before he came through the front door. "Oh sorry. We were going to pull out a board game. You guys coming?"

"We'll be right there Jasper," Bellamy chuckled when he heard Jasper yell to the others that he'd found them in a compromising position.

Clarke said goodnight to Bellamy later that evening at her car with another kiss and felt her insides do a flip. Bellamy smiled down at her as she climbed into her car. She was done resisting this man, this group of people. They were special. Bellamy most of all.


	10. Chapter 10

The next few weeks Clarke and Bellamy spent all their free time together. Clarke had never met someone like him. He was funny and little bit of a nerd, but also incredibly kind and sweet. He'd been helping her with the house and as a thank you she'd told him to come over and they'd have a documentary marathon. Not that it would be a hardship for her either considering she loved them too.

She was in her master bathroom debating on whether to put make-up on or not when her doorbell rang. He didn't seem to care when she was make-up free before so she dropped it all back in the bag and ran to the door.

"Hey princess," He kissed her and led her backwards into the house, his lips still fused to hers. When they were fully inside he kicked the door shut with his foot. He gripped her hips tightly and lifted her up until he had her wrapped around him. "I'd say someone missed me."

"How can I miss someone I see every day," Clarke teased as she hopped down. "Maybe I'm just excited to see you."

"I'm excited to see you too," He brushed his thumb against her jaw and stared down into her eyes. "Miller and Harper have everything covered so we shouldn't have any interruptions tonight."

"Good because I have quite an impressive line-up for tonight," She turned to start for the living room, but was stopped by his strong arms wrapping her up against his chest.

"What if I don't want to spend my night watching documentaries," He pressed kisses down her neck as his hands roamed her front. They disappeared under her shirt to slide up and experimentally grab her breasts.

"Bell," Clarke moaned. His lips were leaving a trail of fire down her neck and all she could do was shiver as she succumbed. She turned around in his arms and tunneled her fingers through his dark curls, clinging to the desperate need she had for him. "I want you Bell."

"I'm yours Clarke," He lifted her in his arms again and gazed down into her eyes seeking permission. At her quick nod he carried her to her bedroom and gently laid her on the center of the bed before straddling her legs with his knees. Her blonde waves were spread out around her head like a halo and her sea blue eyes were gazing up at him with complete trust and arousal. "You're beautiful."

"Thank you," Clarke whispered. She was mesmerized by his dark eyes and the emotions swirling there. It was clear to her that he was as new to this type of feeling as she was. Sure she'd been with her fair share of men, but it had never been like this.

Bellamy braced his hands on either side of her head as he brought his lips to hers again. Clarke snaked her hands up his shirt and ran her fingers over his abs then over his back. He pulled back and tossed the shirt to the floor and pulled hers over her head as well. This was the first time they'd gotten this far and Clarke was honestly nervous. She'd always been proud of herself and her body, but she'd never felt like that should matter to anyone else as much as it did now. She wanted him to be proud of her body too and she wasn't disappointed.

"Wow," His breath caught as he gazed down at her and smiled. There was clear awe in his eyes along with a fierce attraction that was hard to ignore. He grabbed her hand and pressed it over his heart. "See what you do to me?"

"I do," She slid her hand from his heart to the bulge in his jeans just waiting to be set free. "That's got to be painful. Let me help you with that."

She rolled her hips until she was straddling him. Carefully, she unbuttoned and pulled the zipper on his jeans down and tugged them along with his boxers off until he was naked before her and his impressive erection sprung free. Clarke gently gripped him first causing a hiss to escape his lips. Then she leaned over and ran her tongue up his shaft before taking his full length in her mouth. She licked and sucked until he was practically pumping in and out of her mouth. With a low growl he tugged her hair until she'd sat up.

"I'm sorry Princess, but it's been a while for me. If you'd kept going I'd have been done before we even started," He ran his hands over her waist and smirked up at her. "How'd I end up butt naked while you're still mostly clothed?"

"I don't give away my secrets," She reached behind her back and unhooked her bra. The straps fell down her shoulders and she tossed it to the floor with the rest of their discarded clothes.

Bellamy sat up and pulled one nipple into his mouth. He gently tugged until she moaned, her head thrown back and her hips grinding against him. He flipped them back over and pulled her jeans and underwear off.

"Condom?" He asked. She pointed to the bedside table. After slipping it on he slowly entered Clarke for the first time and had to stop to give Clarke time to adjust to him. He also had to give himself a moment. He'd been waiting on this moment for a while. She meant more than anyone else he'd ever been with. He buried his head in her shoulder as the emotions started to take over. "Damn Clarke."

"I know," She ran her fingers through his hair and pressed a kiss to his shoulder. "I feel it too."

He started to move and just as he'd anticipated Clarke met him with each thrust. She fit him perfectly and he knew from that moment on he was hooked to this woman. Clarke gripped his shoulders and moaned when he shifted her hips, finding exactly the position she needed. That shift in position sent her flying over the edge in what she later decided was the most intense orgasm she'd ever had. He followed closely behind and collapsed on top of her body.

"No stay," Clarke wrapped her arms around his back when he tried to lift himself up.

"I'm crushing you," He replied.

"I don't mind. I'm still breathing," She turned her head into his neck and sighed happily.

Clarke and Bellamy spent the rest of the day in bed although they didn't spend all that time having sex. After venturing to the kitchen for lunch, they returned to her room and started another documentary. Bellamy sat against the headboard and Clarke rested against his chest between his legs. He was running his fingers up and down her arms as he watched the documentary on World War II they'd started. He grunted in disagreement which caused Clarke to giggle, something she hadn't done in a very long time.

"What? That's not necessarily the full truth," Bellamy argued.

"I love watching these with you. It reminds me of my dad," She smiled at the memory of him yelling at the television every time they'd watch a historical documentary. "He used to scream at the TV. He always found something he disagreed with whether it was a proven fact or not."

After a few minutes of silence he pressed a kiss to her shoulder. "I'm sorry you lost him Clarke. He sounds like a great guy."

Clarke looked over her shoulder and smiled sadly at him. "Thanks. I think you guys would have gotten along well."

"I sometimes wish I'd known my dad, but then I figure what's the point? I've spent my whole life without him and I'm honestly better off."

"I guess I'm lucky," Clarke replied. "I had what most would call a storybook life. Never any bumps really until he died. At least not until recently."

Bellamy wanted to push her about the last comment, but knew she would probably dodge the question. She wasn't ready yet to tell him about what had happened to her. But he honestly didn't care anymore. He cared about her and he'd take her no matter what.


	11. Chapter 11

**Hi Everyone! This chapter is a little short so I'll post another after this. As always, comments are welcome and encouraged!**

Three weeks later Bellamy arrived at Clarke's house with boxes of tile in the back of his truck. She'd picked out a fancy tile for her master bathroom and he'd offered to pick it up for her with Lincoln's truck. Clarke must have been watching for him because she came down the front steps and excitedly ran to the car.

"I was hoping that excitement was for me, but I'm assuming it's for the tile," He teased.

"It's mostly for the tile, but I am excited to see you too," She pressed a quick kiss to his lips to reassure him which caused him to chuckle.

"Yea, yea," He grabbed a box and started for the house. Clarke was right behind him with another and didn't seem to be struggling under its' weight. Together they brought in all the boxes and opened them to reveal small white tiles in an octagon shape with a black diamond shaped tile in each corner separating the white tiles. He glanced at Clarke skeptically. "You sure we can do this ourselves?"

"I'm sure. I took a class at Home Depot to learn how," Clarke picked up the tile and smiled. With Bellamy's help they'd finished the kitchen and it now looked exactly as she'd hoped. They'd put a fresh coat of paint in the living room and removed the carpets to find hardwood floors in fairly good shape already. They'd also updated her built-in shelves that surrounded her fireplace with white paint. So far refinishing the living room floors and installing new kitchen counters were the only things she'd had to hire someone to do. "I think this might be what I'm the most excited for."

"I don't know I think your kitchen is pretty awesome. I spent a lot of time pulling that wallpaper off," Bellamy wrapped his arms around her and pressed a kiss to her temple.

"Your help is definitely appreciated," She turned and put her arms around his neck and kissed him. "And your help will be rewarded later after we get started on the tile."

"Yes ma'am," He chuckled and grabbed another tile square.

After Clarke showed him the process a couple times Bellamy was able to work fairly quickly. Clarke's master bathroom wasn't all that large so together they developed a rhythm and were able to finish it by the end of the day.

"Thank you Bell," Clarke leaned into Bellamy's side and wrapped her arms around his waist. "I love it."

"Good," He pressed a kiss to her temple. "Now about that reward?"

Clarke laughed when Bellamy lifted her up in his arms and had his way with her on the bathroom vanity.

"Good thing you're replacing this too," Bellamy was still buried inside her with her legs wrapped around his waist.

Clarke chuckled. She really didn't care for this vanity anyway although it was the perfect height. Bellamy lifted her from the vanity and carried her over to the shower where he turned on the water. As soon as it was warm he climbed into shower with her still wrapped around him. He made love to her again up against the shower wall and then washed her body. He struggled not to pull her back against him for a third time when she started washing him. Her fingers running over his wet skin ignited sparks. As they toweled off the doorbell rang. Clarke grabbed her robe off the back of the door and went out to answer it.

"Clarke!" Octavia came barreling into the house with Raven close on her heels. "We've barely seen you lately."

"You better have most of this house renovated," Raven held up the case of beer she was carrying. "We brought your favorite. Take a break with us?"

"We just took a break," Bellamy replied. He was leaning against the hallway wall with a smug smirk on his face. His chest was still bare and the towel was wrapped snugly around his waist.

"Well well," Raven teased. "Looks like we were late to the party."

"Ew Raven," Octavia turned a disgusted face to her friend. "This is my brother."

After recovering from their shock, Clarke took the girls on a tour of the renovations they'd done so far. Clarke walked them to the door 20 minutes later after both Octavia and Raven claimed they didn't want to interrupt.

"I'm happy for you big brother," Octavia hugged Bellamy before she left. "I've never seen you this content."

Bellamy glanced back at Clarke who was laughing with Raven. "She makes me very happy O. I know it's crazy how quickly this has gone, but I really care about her. I want to try and make it work with her."

"Good," Octavia hugged Clarke before both girls left, taking the case of beer with them.

Clarke roped Bellamy into looking at bathroom vanities that night. After an hour they had to stop because Clarke couldn't stop giggling every time she saw one. That night Bellamy fell asleep next to Clarke and didn't even consider going home. He didn't want to leave this woman ever.


	12. Chapter 12

Bellamy pulled into Clarke's driveway a week later and tiredly walked up the front steps. He'd been pulling double shifts all week ever since the flu had started it's way around the precinct. First Miller then Harper and finally it took Mrs. Philips down. She was their 911 operator and general office manager. She kept all of them in check and they'd been a mess while she was out for three days. Bellamy was doing everything he could not to get sick. Thankfully, he had the next two days off. It was the Fourth of July and Mrs. Philips had insisted on giving all three of them the day off. As she said, they were only a phone call away if needed. She offered to man the phones during the holiday as long as she was allowed to have her husband sit with her for the day. Bellamy was more than happy to oblige.

"Hey Bell," Clarke greeted him when he let himself into her house. She was dressed in a pair of jean shorts and red tank top. Her blonde hair was up in a ponytail and sandals were on her feet. He sighed when she wrapped her arms around him. Clarke chuckled and rubbed his back. "You look exhausted. Are you ok?"

"Yea," Bellamy pulled back and kissed her forehead. "I'd kiss you, but I'm afraid of flu germs. I don't feel sick, but it's taken everyone else at the precinct down. I'm bound to be next."

"I've been elbow deep in flu germs this week at the clinic," Clark shrugged and placed her hand gently against his cheek. "I can take it."

Bellamy smiled and kissed her lips with his hands cradling her jaw. She wrapped her arms around his waist and let him slip his tongue in her mouth. When she pulled back, rather reluctantly, Bellamy was smiling at her with clear arousal in his eyes.

"You know I'd love to, but we'd better get going or we'll be late," Clarke pulled back and grabbed her purse from the entry table and followed him out to his car.

They drove to the nearby city park and pulled into the already crowded parking lot. It was a tradition among their group of friends to spend the day at the park then they'd watch the fireworks that the city shot off. Bellamy grabbed the case of beer from Clarke's hands and they made their way to the table Octavia had saved.

"I could have carried that you know," Clarke narrowed her eyes at Bellamy. "Are you sure you're ok?"

"I'm good Princess," Bellamy smiled at her. "Just need some rest I think."

Clarke didn't quite believe him, but she wasn't planning on leaving his side for the next two days so she'd keep an eye on him. Lincoln and Wick were already putting burgers on the grill next to their table. Octavia was sitting on the table with a beer in hand talking to Raven and Harper. Miller was throwing a football with Monty and Jasper.

"Hey guys. You can put the beers in there Bell," Octavia gestured to the nearby cooler and Bellamy set it down to start putting the beers in. "What's wrong with him?"

"He says he's fine," Clarke crossed her arms and watched as Bellamy sluggishly put the beers in the cooler. "He's either burned out from a week of doubles or the flu finally caught up with him."

"My money's on both," Raven replied. "He looks like shit."

"Don't worry. As soon as the fireworks are over I'll put him to bed," Clarke took the beer Bellamy offered to her before he went over to halfheartedly join the game of catch.

"Ew Clarke," Octavia scrunched her nose. "I'm happy for you guys, but I don't need the mental picture."

Clarke smacked her playfully on the arm.

"So how are things going with you two?" Harper asked.

"Good," Clarke smiled. "It's been a long time since I've been this happy."

"Well I can assure you that my brother has not smiled this much in a long time. Maybe ever," Octavia jumped down from the table and ran out to intercept the football Monty had just thrown.

Raven and Harper followed her and it quickly became a game of keep the ball away from the boys. Clarke giggled when Raven jumped in front of Jasper to grab the ball. She really was being truthful when she said she'd never been this happy before. Her life in New York was good, despite what had happened, but it wasn't anything like this. Here she had a group of people who cared about her rather than a few and she had a home that was hers rather than just an apartment. And she couldn't ignore the best reason - Bellamy. She'd never connected with another person the way she did with him.

Clarke smiled as Bellamy approached. She wrapped her arms around his waist as one of his wrapped around her back. "Gave up huh?"

"It's not as much fun when you're not involved," He ran his thumb along her jaw and kissed her.

Try as she could, Clarke couldn't stop her heart from fluttering in her chest. She knew she was falling in love with this man. While she wanted to stop the descent out of fear of the consequences, she was powerless to prevent it. He was everything she'd ever wanted.

After eating lunch, they split up and played football again like they had at Octavia's. Only this time they made sure to separate Clarke and Raven. What ensued was the most competitive game they'd ever played. After about two hours they decided to call it quits. Both girls would score on every possession resulting in a perpetually tied game.

"Maybe splitting them up wasn't the best idea," Lincoln said.

"We're just unstoppable," Raven shrugged unapologetically.

"It's going to get dark soon," Monty said as he checked his watch. "Should we start heading over to our spot?"

"You guys have a spot?" Clarke asked.

"Yep," Octavia jumped up on Lincoln's back and wrapped her arms around his neck. "We have for years and everyone in town steers clear of it for us."

"It's the best place to see the fireworks," Raven wrapped her arm around Wick's waist and started walking away from the table.

Bellamy grabbed Clarke's hand and twisted his fingers through hers. When they reached the spot Clarke could see why it was the best. It was at the top of a large hill and there was a break in the trees right in front of it. They'd be able to see the fireworks very clearly from here. Jasper and Miller, who'd been carrying blankets, started spreading them out. Bellamy took the one Miller offered then sank to the ground and pulled Clarke with him. She settled in between his outstretched legs and leaned her back against his chest.

"I'm going to try and stay awake Princess," He pressed a kiss to her bare shoulder then rested his forehead against the same spot.

"Bell we don't have to watch these if you're not feeling well," Clarke reached her arm behind her to gently run her fingernails across his scalp. "Besides your forehead feels a little hot. Are you sure you're not nauseous or anything."

"Not at the moment," Bellamy smiled against her shoulder. "I like that you care so much."

"I am a doctor you know," Clarke replied. They had just run around the park in the intense heat for two hours. Perhaps he was just overheated from that.

For the small town they were, the show was pretty good. It was clear the town cared about the holiday and it seemed like everyone who lived there was in the park to watch. When it was over, Clarke stood and stretched her legs then turned and helped Bellamy up. He looked utterly exhausted.

"Clarke, take my brother home," Octavia looked genuinely worried. "He looks worse than he did when he got here."

"You're right. I don't care what you say Bell," Clarke put her hand against his forehead again. "You are tired from working too much, but the fever you have right now tells me you also have the flu. Let's go home."

"Ok," Bellamy let himself be led back to their car, waving over his shoulder at the group.

Clarke managed to get him inside the car where he promptly fell asleep seconds after he'd buckled up. She drove back to her house and gently shook him awake to led him inside. She dropped her keys on the entry table and tossed her purse on the living room couch.

"Go lay down Bell," Clarke headed for the kitchen and grabbed a glass from the cabinet. "I'll be right there."

When she entered her bedroom with the glass of water in hand she found him sitting on the side of the bed with his shirt off and struggling to get his jeans off. Clarke set the glass down on the dresser and grabbed a pair of his gym shorts from one of the drawers. She was choosing to ignore the fact that his things were magically starting to appear in her home.

"Let me help baby," Clarke unbuttoned his jeans and knelt down to pull them off.

"If I wasn't so exhausted I'd be turned on right now," Bellamy smiled down at Clarke.

Clarke chuckled and helped him step into the shorts then stood. She spread her fingers through his hair as he settled his arms around her waist. She pressed her lips against his hot forehead.

"I care about you Bell. This is what you do for someone you care about," Clarke pressed another kiss to his temple then helped him climb into the bed.

Clarke settled next to Bellamy, at his own insistence, as he finally fell asleep. She lapsed into slumber as well until she was awoken two hours later by the sound of Bellamy retching in the bathroom. Climbing from the bed, she grabbed the glass of water from the dresser. He was hugging the toilet bowl when she entered. She set the glass of water on the counter, sat on the edge of the tub and rubbed his back gently.

"I hate that you're seeing me like this," Bellamy grabbed some toilet paper to wipe his mouth then leaned over to rest his forehead against her knee.

"It doesn't make you any less of man to me," Clarke gently ran her fingers through his hair. "The flu kicks everyone's ass."

Bellamy moaned and leaned away from her comforting arms to lean over the toilet again. After a few minutes he leaned back again and went back to her waiting arms. Clarke rubbed his shoulders and leaned down to press a kiss to the top of his head.

"I'm sorry I kissed you earlier," Bellamy murmured. "You'll probably get this next."

"I was bound to whether you'd kissed me or not. Like I said, I've been around the same germs all week," Clarke reassured him.

They spent a good majority of the night in the bathroom. Clarke made sure to keep him hydrated despite his protestations. Around 3 am his stomach finally felt settled enough for Clarke to lead him back to the bedroom where she helped him lay down. He fell into a very deep sleep and ended up sleeping all the way through to morning.

Clarke rolled over the next morning to find him still sound asleep. He still had a fever, but it wasn't as bad as it had been. The more she watched him the more she realized that she wasn't falling in love with him. She already was. And that scared the shit out of her.


	13. Chapter 13

A week later Clarke was back at the clinic. As Bellamy had predicted, Clarke came down with the flu right after he got over it. And as Clarke had done for him, Bellamy took care of her. Clarke walked in to find the clinic already open and Dr. Hardgrove turning on lights in the back.

"Ah Clarke," He pulled her into a hug. "I see you're feeling better."

"Much better," Clarke replied. "Thanks for coming back for a few days to cover for me."

"You're welcome my dear," He smiled and headed for the front door. "I'll leave you to it then."

Clarke waved and finished her morning routine. She enjoyed the peace and quiet being alone at the clinic offered. She had time to herself to think. Things with Bellamy were great and while she honestly hadn't been happier, the realization that she was in love with him scared her. Everything that had happened to her back home was because of how close she got to the people she cared about. What if her happiness triggered the bad karma that seemed to follow her around like the plague? Clarke was shaken from her thoughts around lunchtime by the front door signaling someone had arrived. She was pleasantly surprised to find that it was Bellamy who'd come in.

"Hey Princess," Bellamy wrapped her in a hug and pressed a kiss to her forehead. "How's it going?"

"Good. Just trying to get back into the swing of things around here," She settled her arms around his waist. "What are you doing here?"

"I wanted to make sure you ate. Want to head to the diner with me?" He was gently rubbing her back which was becoming a habit. Every time he did it she seemed to melt in his arms.

"Yes. Let me just grab my purse and lock the back door," Clarke locked the backdoor and grabbed her bag from her office, then pulled that door shut and locked it as well. On her way out she locked the clinic door and flipped the sign out front to show she'd be back soon.

The diner was so close they decided to walk. Bellamy grabbed her hand as they started towards the restaurant and Clarke rested her head against his shoulder as they walked. Bellamy's heart pounded in chest. He'd never felt like this before. Everything about her was exactly what he wanted and needed in his life. She gave him stability that he didn't realize he needed and a contentment he'd always craved. He wanted to tell her how much he loved her, but was afraid she'd get spooked. There was still a part of her past that was obviously haunting her. He always told himself he'd never push her to tell him what happened to her because it wouldn't ever change how he felt, but he also knew deep down that if she didn't share it they'd never be able to have a future together.

"How about I come over tonight and cook us an amazing dinner?" Bellamy asked.

"That sounds great," Clarke looked up at him curiously. "What's the occasion?"

Bellamy shrugged and kissed her temple. "Just because."

Later that evening, Bellamy arrived with ingredients for dinner in one hand and a bottle of wine in the other. He'd spent the afternoon trying to figure out how to bring up her past without being too obvious. So far he had no ideas for his efforts. He figured he'd just go with the flow. He let himself into the house and found her in the kitchen fiddling with her Ihome and Ipod that were on the counter.

"Hey," She smiled up at him and accepted the kiss he placed on her lips. "Should we do old school rock and roll or a more calm alternative acoustic?"

"Second one," Bellamy set the ingredients and wine on the counter. "Rock would ruin the mood I think."

"The mood?" Clarke chuckled as she set the Ipod back on the docking station and chose a playlist from Spotify. "You sure there's no special occasion tonight Bell?"

"I'm sure," He caught her waist and wrapped his arm around her. "Just want a quiet evening with my favorite girl."

Clarke smiled. His girl. She liked the sound of that. "So what are you making your girl tonight?"

"Spaghetti with homemade sauce."

"Like from scratch? Really?" Clarke was impressed when he nodded.

"Yep," Bellamy started pulling ingredients from the bags and setting them on the kitchen counter. "I've been cooking for myself and Octavia since I was a kid. Peanut butter and jelly was only appealing for so long."

"You continue to impress Sheriff," Clarke pulled from his arms to grab two wine glasses from the cabinet. She poured them each a glass and handed one to Bellamy.

Clarke walked around the island and sat down on one of the bar stools to watch Bellamy. She discovered she loved just watching him. He moved around the kitchen like he'd been using it for years.

"I think you were a chef in a past life Bell," Clarke said.

"I really do enjoy it," He dropped some spices into the pot in front of him. "At first it was just about keeping O and I alive, but after a while I realized how fun it was. I had complete control and could put whatever I wanted together to create something. Control was something I didn't have a lot of as kid."

About 30 minutes later Bellamy joined her on a bar stool and placed a plate in front of her. She took one bite and stared at him in shock.

"Oh my god. Bell this is amazing," She moaned as she placed another bite in her mouth.

"I told you Princess," Bellamy smirked at her.

After she finished, Clarke took their dirty dishes to the dishwasher and started washing the pans Bellamy had used. As she washed, she couldn't help but wish her mom was here. Cooking was one passion her mom had that she'd tried to get Clarke to appreciate, but it hadn't ever stuck. Clarke tried, but it just wasn't her thing although it was when they had the best conversations.

"What's wrong?" Bellamy had seen her face fall with her hands in the soapy water.

"Nothing," Clarke shrugged and sighed. "Just missing my mom."

Bellamy knew now was his chance. "Clarke why did you leave home? You know you can tell me anything right?"

Clarke's anxiety jumped at the question. She could see the love and understanding in his eyes and knew that no matter what he'd understand. But she didn't think she could bear to reveal what had happened. What she'd done.

"You don't want to know Bell. It's all in the past any way," Clarke put one pot aside and grabbed another.

"It's a part of who you are Clarke. It's obviously still bothering you," Bellamy gently tried to push.

"Bellamy please," Clarke pulled her hands from the suds and grabbed a towel to dry them off. She threw the towel on the counter and went to the living room to try and escape his questions. Before she could stop them tears started to fall down her face. "I won't be the same person to you. Everything that's good in my life gets taken away from me. I'm a walking disaster."

Bellamy got up from the bar stool and cupped her jaw in his hands, wiping the tears that had fallen from her face. "Clarke nothing you say will change anything. You will still annoy me with your stubbornness, arouse me, understand me better than anyone I've ever known. I will still...love you. Just as much as I do now."

Clarke dropped her forehead to his chest and gripped his shirt tightly. "Dammit Bellamy. I never asked you to fall for me."

"It's too late," Bellamy smiled when she leaned back with fresh tears in her eyes.

Clarke knew it was time. She couldn't keep this secret from him anymore. Especially since she loved him too. She would just have to be prepared for him to run when he knew the whole truth. She took his hand and led him to the couch. She wanted to sit with some distance, but Bellamy didn't want that. As soon as they'd sat down he pulled her to sit in his lap. She settled there with her back against the side of the couch.

"Back home I had a friend named Wells. He was my best friend. We'd known each other most of our lives. My mom was an ER doctor before moving to surgery and his dad, Thelonius, was the director of the hospital. I think our parents really wanted us to date, but I'd never really seen him that way and he never saw me that way either. No matter what, I was happy. We spent all our free time together. Other than you, no one has known me better than Wells. He made life in New York bearable and worth it. By the time I started at the hospital my mom was head of the surgical department and I'd started in the ER. I was, depending upon how you see it I guess, in the wrong place at the wrong time. I had gone into the supply closet to get something and saw Thelonius in the corner. I was going to say hi when I realized he was on the phone. I'll never forget what I heard him say."

"What he'd say?" Bellamy rubbed a hand across her thigh soothingly. He could feel the anxiety rolling off her in waves. While he did feel guilty about pushing her to this he knew that she needed it too.

"He was talking to someone about a drug deal. He was making plans to meet someone later that evening and then listed off the different drugs he was bringing - painkillers, narcotics," Clarke forced herself to stop wringing her hands and placed them in her lap instead. Bellamy immediately grabbed one and wrapped his fingers through hers and squeezed them in silent support. "I left and ran straight to the break room to think. We'd had some drugs turn up missing and the police had been trying to figure out who was doing it, but hadn't. I'd known him my whole life and I didn't want to rat on him, but I didn't have a choice. I reported what I'd heard to the detectives and tried not to feel like a snitch. They eventually arrested him and when Wells found out it was me who'd turned him in..."

Clarke's voice cracked and the tears started falling again. Bellamy rubbed her back and pressed a kiss to her temple, whispering words of comfort in her ear.

"He cornered me coming out of a coffee shop on my way to work. He was yelling at me that I'd betrayed him and that he hated me. I tried to apologize, but he left before I could. I tried to tell myself we'd get past this, but he was dead by the end of the week. And it was my fault."

"What do you mean Princess?" Bellamy asked.

"The detectives on the case came to my apartment three days after he'd stormed off. They told me that the drug dealers Thelonius was working for didn't want him to snitch or talk. To scare him into silence they...stabbed Wells thirty times."

Clarke broke down and started sobbing. She sank against his chest as she tried to control the tears, but they continued to come. Bellamy wrapped his arms around her and let her cry it out. As he held her, he struggled to come up with a reason why she thought this was her fault or that it was because of how happy she was.

"You didn't do anything wrong," He whispered. She pulled away from his chest and looked up at him. "Wells death wasn't your fault and his dad stealing drugs wasn't your fault either. His death is on his dad, not you."

"I wish I could believe that," Clarke wiped the tears from her cheeks. "His death destroyed a part of me that I'll never get back. If I'd just kept my mouth shut about what I heard he'd still be alive."

"Maybe. But he could have been killed walking across the street or his dad could have tried to get out at some point and they could have killed him to stop him from doing it. All the bad things that happen in the world are not because of you Princess," Bellamy was determined to show her that she wasn't to blame. He placed his hand against her cheek and wiped the tears. "You are allowed to be happy. Everything that happened brought you here. To me. And call me selfish, but I'm incredibly grateful for that."

Clarke sighed and dropped her forehead to his. Maybe Bellamy was right. She didn't ask to be put in that situation. What would anyone else have done if they were in her place? "I love you Bellamy. I'm not sure I fully believe I had no part in what happened, but I do know that I've started to heal and move on because of you."

She'd always feel responsible for Wells' death, but after just a short time here she was finally starting to accept what had happened. Her conscious would never be fully cleared, but she knew that she could start to live with it.


	14. Chapter 14

A month had passed since Clarke had confessed to Bellamy. She'd never felt so free as she did after telling him about her past. A weight had been lifted from her shoulders allowing her to finally give in fully to her feelings for Bellamy and to the rest of the group. They all noticed the shift in her, but didn't ask about it. She didn't think she'd ever tell the others what had happened in her past, but it didn't seem to matter as much. It was part of her, but didn't control her anymore.

She and Bellamy had put the final touches on the house including fixing up the guest bedroom with a new coat of paint and fixing the hardwood floors. Bellamy had finally convinced her they needed to hire someone when it came to the restoring the deck out back to which she grudgingly agreed to.

"Thanks for convincing me," Clarke was leaning against the back railing of the deck admiring the finished product. Bellamy was leaning against the sliding door jamb smiling at her. "They did a great job."

"They did. You should have a house warming party," Bellamy pushed off the door jamb and headed in her direction, taking her in his arms. "Show the place off. Maybe invite your mom for a long weekend?"

Clarke looked up at Bellamy with surprise. Ever since she'd left New York, she had been getting better. This move had been exactly what she needed, but while she was getting better and more happy than she'd ever been she missed her mom more than she'd thought she would.

"I love that idea," Clarke leaned up to kiss him and hugged him tightly. "And I love you for suggesting it."

"Making you happy makes me happy," He pressed a kiss to her temple.

Two weeks later, Clarke walked into her kitchen with her arms full of groceries. Bellamy was following closely behind her with two cases of beer. He placed them carefully on the floor of the pantry then turned to help her unload the groceries.

"Does your mom have a ride from the airport?" He placed the hamburger meat in the fridge then grabbed the lettuce and put it in next.

"She and Marcus are renting a car," Clarke handed him the tomatoes next and smiled. "They said they might take a day to drive to Portland."

Bellamy and Clarke finished putting the groceries away together. Clarke then started frantically running around the house making sure everything was perfect. Bellamy just stayed back and smiled. She'd already done this twice today, but having her mom and stepdad coming to her new home after everything that had happened was a big deal. Especially when he'd been practically living here the last month. He'd never felt like this before and going home didn't seem that exciting anymore.

"Princess stop. Everything looks great," He pulled her away from fluffing a pillow for the third time and cupped her jaw. "She's going to be proud of you."

"I just hope she forgives me for leaving," Clarke played with the buttons on his shirt nervously.

"She will. Especially after she's sees you," Bellamy smiled down at her. "Your mom loves you and no matter what happened in the past you're still her daughter. That trumps everything."

"Damn," Clarke leaned back and wiped her cheeks. "You sure know what to say to a girl."

Bellamy shrugged in embarrassment. He had grown up with a sister. Knowing what to say to a girl was the norm for him. About 20 minutes later a car pulled up into the driveway and two car doors slammed. Clarke muttered "here we go" to herself and opened the front door and stepped out onto the porch. Bellamy stood behind in the doorway, waiting to be there however she needed him to be.

A man with dark hair spattered with gray and a thick beard across his jaw was pulling a medium sized suitcase from the trunk of a sensible sedan. He was wearing jeans and a sweater. A woman pulled a purse from the passenger side. She had long light brown waves that fell down her back and was also wearing jeans with a t-shirt and jacket. She glanced hesitantly up at the house then saw Clarke and her smile immediately brightened.

"Clarke!" She rushed up the front steps and hugged her daughter tightly. "I've missed you baby. How're you doing?"

"I'm actually doing better mom," Clarke smiled. "A lot better than I was back in New York. A lot of that is because of Bellamy."

Clarke's mom studied Bellamy as he stood in the doorway. Clarke reached for his hand and he stepped forward, wrapping an arm around her back.

"It's a pleasure to meet you," He held out his hand which she grasped firmly. "I'm Bellamy Blake."

"It's nice to meet you Bellamy. I'm Abby and this is my husband Marcus," She introduced the man waiting over her shoulder. He nodded at them and smiled warmly at Clarke. "Thank you for taking care of my little girl."

"Mom," Clarke replied with a roll of her eyes.

"It's been my pleasure. She's fit right in around here," Bellamy said.

"Do you want to see the house mom?" Clarke asked to which her mom nodded.

Clarke gave her mom a small photo album to take with them on the tour. Each page was a picture of what each room looked like before they renovated it. She took them both on a tour of the house with Bellamy following. When they'd finished, she and her mom sat on the sofa in the living room.

"Sir would you like to help me get the grill started? Our friends will be here soon and they'll be hungry," Bellamy asked Marcus. He knew Clarke wanted some time alone with her mom before everyone arrived.

"I'd be happy to Bellamy," Marcus nodded in appreciation at Bellamy and followed him out to the deck.

"Bellamy seems like a lovely man Clarke," Abby gripped Clarke's hands and smiled. "And the house is great. You two did a good job."

"Thanks mom," Clarke smiled. "I know that coming here and not telling you about it seems crazy. But I was suffocating in New York which seems impossible considering the size. No matter where I went all I could see or think about was Wells and what happened. I'll always feel responsible for what happened, but with the renovations to the house and Bellamy and the friends I've made here I'm finally starting to accept what happened. And I'm ready to move on with my life."

"You needed a fresh start," Abby pushed Clarke's hair behind her ears. "I'm sorry I didn't see that. I'm glad you found what you needed here to help you."

"The guest room will always be ready for you and Marcus. I want you guys to come visit as often as you'd like," Clarke reached for her mom and pulled her into a hug. "I missed you mom."

"I missed you too," Abby hugged her daughter back tightly. She could see the change in her and now knew that she'd never have moved on if she'd stayed. She needed to leave in order to heal.


	15. Chapter 15

**Thank you to everyone who has favorited, followed, or commented on this story! I had fun writing it and hope you enjoyed it. This is the last chapter! Please let me know what you think!**

After hugging and drying their tears, Clarke and Abby went out to join Bellamy and Marcus who were talking about the deck project. Clarke handed her mom a beer and took one for herself. Now that she was here, Clarke felt the last talon from the past lift from her shoulders. She could finally let go of what had happened.

"I was just telling your stepdad about how bad the deck was before," Bellamy wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

"It was a disaster," Clarke chuckled.

About 45 minutes later the group started to arrive. Octavia, Raven and Harper were amazed at what she and Bellamy had done to the house and insisted they needed to go into business together. All the men feigned interest then excused themselves to the deck to pass around the beer. Bellamy introduced Marcus to the group and he immediately fit in. He was amazed at how easily the man was able to relate to them. And it was obvious to them how much he cared about Clarke. Bellamy put the burgers on the grill and Clarke took the opportunity to have him to herself.

"Do I get to kiss the chef?" Clarke wrapped her arms around his waist.

"Only if your mom and stepdad aren't looking," Bellamy replied with a smile. Clarke giggled and pressed her lips to his.

"Thank you Bell. Not just for today, but for everything. If you hadn't come into my life when you did I don't know where I'd have ended up," Clarke smiled up at Bellamy. "I love you. Very much."

"I love you too," Bellamy kissed her forehead.

Clarke reluctantly pulled from his embrace when she felt her mother's eyes on them. She knew Bellamy was self-conscious about showing affection in front of her mom and stepdad. This was the first time he'd ever been in a relationship that meeting the parents was involved. The day before they'd arrived he had confessed how nervous he was which at first had made her laugh until she realized how serious he was.

Clarke spent the rest of the weekend with her mom and stepdad. Bellamy spent as much time with them as he could too except the evenings. He spent the first weekend in a long time at his home. It was strange being at home without her. On Sunday night Bellamy was extremely antsy and decided he'd rather spend some time working on reports in his office rather than counting down the minutes until he could see Clarke again.

When he arrived at the station, Miller was sitting at the reception desk looking extremely bored. He sat up in surprise when Bellamy walked in. Glancing down at his watch, he looked back up at his friend and boss with his eyebrow raised in question.

"Couldn't sleep or sit still," Bellamy shrugged. "Figured I'd get some reports done instead."

"Clarke's mom and stepdad are still here aren't they?" Miller teased.

Bellamy wanted to deny that was the reason, but instead he just chuckled. "Yea. I've never felt so restless. I don't like my place anymore."

"So just move in with Clarke," Miller replied like it was the most obvious choice.

Bellamy opened his mouth to protest, but realized he didn't want to. He wandered to his office and rather than doing the paperwork he came for, he looked into putting his home on the market.

The next day, he stood on the front porch of Clarke's house waving to Abby and Marcus. Clarke had her arm wrapped around his waist and tears rolling down her cheeks. She waved back at her mother and stepdad and watched until they couldn't see them anymore.

"I'm so happy they came," Clarke looked up at Bellamy and smiled. "But I'm also glad they're leaving because I'm super horny for you."

Bellamy laughed and surprised her by picking her up in his arms, his erection getting harder when she wrapped her legs around his waist. "You and me both Princess."

Later they laid in her bed, their sweaty limbs tangled together. Clarke rested on her stomach, her hand lying on his chest and her head against his shoulder. He rubbed his hand against the arm resting over his heart and pressed a kiss to her forehead.

"What would you say if I told you I put my house on the market this morning?" He hesitantly asked.

Clarke shifted so she could look up at him. "I'd ask why?"

"This last weekend made me realize something," He reached up to brush the hair from her eyes. "Not being able to stay here at night with you or wake up next to you made me realize I don't want to go back to my place. I want to stay here with you. Be with you always."

Clarke smiled up at him, love clearly shining from her deep blue eyes. "I would love that. Very much."

A few weeks later Bellamy was pulling in the driveway with boxes piled in his car followed closely by Lincoln who had boxes in the back of his truck. Octavia and Raven followed Clarke out of the house where they'd been waiting for the boys.

"Thank you for making my brother so happy," Octavia wrapped her arm around Clarke's waist and squeezed.

"It's the least I could do considering he saved me," Clarke wrapped her arms around Octavia. "You all did."

Later that evening Clarke and Bellamy were sitting in the living room staring at the bookcases. The only boxes they had left were his books, but the daunting task of mixing their collections was too exhausting to tackle.

"We're going to have build another bookshelf," Clarke said. She was laying on her side on the couch with her head in his lap. He had his feet up on the coffee table and gently ran his fingers through her blonde curls.

"I'll consider that a great problem," Bellamy replied. He rubbed her hand across her side. "I love you."

"I love you too," Clarke rolled over onto her back to accept the kiss he placed on her lips.

Clarke couldn't believe she'd gotten this lucky. She left all she knew behind in pain and needing what she thought was just solitude. But as usual with life she was thrown a curve ball. Instead of fighting that curve ball out of fear, she'd taken a leap of faith and found herself walking away from her past with everything she'd ever wanted. She'd never been happier in her life and knew that this was the beginning of the rest of her life. 


End file.
